Earle Waugh told us of a very important honour that he recently received.

I want to share a special moment with you because without your support and assistance, this honor would never have occurred. In a sweat lodge owned by Emile Derocher originally from Goodfish Lake, Alberta, and at a sweat ceremony held on the ceremonial grounds at Alberta Hospital on Saturday January 29, I was honored by the Cree people with the presentation of the distinguished name of Pîwapisk-omostos. Before the second round of the sweat, medicine person Clifford Cardinal noted:

This man had been friends of the Aboriginal peoples for a long time, and had been living in Cree territory for much of his life. He had exhibited great concern for the health and well-being of the people, and had worked very hard to bring traditional healing ways into the system. He had spent many years working on a great Cree Dictionary that had contributed much to the Cree language. He had also written much on the Cree people. It is time that we recognize him as a man of this land.

Then he sang four very powerful songs Cree songs. Later he indicated that he was at a loss as to what the name should be until the spirits made known a name that is not common among the Cree people, but rather is from the Sioux people in the south. He recalled hearing of the great bull spirit as a child, and had learned of that spirit many years ago, but had since forgotten until the moment of naming. Pîwapisk-omostos is Cree for Iron Bull, the great traditional chief of the River Crow people in Yellowstone Park area. A fearful warrior, he was one of the last of the hereditary traditional Chiefs.

This is a fabulous honour, well deserved and humbly received. Congratulations, Earle.